The Night We Met
by Abby Jimenez
Contents
50: Chris
Overview
In the quiet after their decision, Chris reflects on choosing Larissa over loyalty to Mike. He accepts the moral cost, relief at stopping the fight within himself, and the need to keep their relationship secret. Anticipating condemnation from friends and family, he resigns himself to being seen as the villain.
Summary
At 2:30 a.m., Chris lies awake beside a sleeping Larissa and Woofarine, flooded by the tenderness of finally being together. He recognizes that he crossed the line he had resisted, relinquishing his resolve and values to stop hurting Larissa by denying their mutual love.
Chris frames the decision as surrender after a long internal battle, likening it to succumbing to anesthesia. He recalls kissing Larissa minutes after Jesse confronted him about exactly this choice, and acknowledges both the wholeness it brings and the ache of what it costs.
Looking ahead, Chris accepts that they must keep their relationship secret. He imagines the milestones they cannot share—public posts, double dates, an engagement or wedding celebrated by friends—and accepts that they will be seen as the bad guys. He concedes that accusations about timing and long-standing feelings would be true, yet affirms he could never choose hurting Larissa to protect Mike.
Who Appears
- ChrisNarrator; chooses Larissa over loyalty to Mike, feels relieved yet resigned to secrecy and social fallout.
- LarissaAsleeps beside Chris; the person he chooses, prompting his acceptance of secrecy and anticipated judgment.
- JesseRecently accused Chris of betraying Mike; his confrontation underscores the moral cost Chris accepts.
- MikeAbsent but central; Chris acknowledges betraying him and the likely condemnation from their circle.
- WoofarineDog curled at the bed’s end; a quiet presence during Chris’s late-night reckoning.